Two senior Gloriavale leaders, Fervent Steadfast and Faithful Pilgrim, have resigned from their senior positions within the Christian community.
The Gloriavale community on the West Coast. Photo: Google Maps
Some of the men's failings were heard in the community's Employment Court hearing last month.
Fervent Steadfast has been accused of improperly handling issues around employment and had already resigned as financial controller last year.
Steadfast has held his senior role in the West Coast sect since 1995.
Faithful Pilgrim was the former principal of the school but left that role in 2020 after failing to protect children in his care.
A community spokesperson said the resignations were part of Gloriavale's commitment to change and follow on from last Friday's public apology.
The apology was for failing to protect victims of labour exploitation and sexual abuse.
"These resignations are part of Gloriavale's commitment to change, as outlined in its public apology [last Friday]," the community spokesperson stated.
Both men were part of a senior group of six men called the Shepherds, which answered to Gloriavale's current leader and Overseeing Shepherd, Howard Temple.
Employment Court Chief Judge Christina Inglis described the groups' role as "being responsible for supervising the spiritual and moral discipline of the Community."
A decision on their replacements is yet to be made.
The statement said despite efforts to create a safe haven, leaders had been hurt to discover the extent of sexual offending that had occurred within the community.
The leaders said in their statement that much had changed at Gloriavale since its leadership changed in 2018 after founder Neville Cooper, who was known as Hopeful Christian, died.
Cooper himself spent time in prison for sexual offending in the community.
Police and Oranga Tamariki have conducted investigations at the community in recent years and several cases of sexual abuse have been through the criminal courts while other prosecutions were ongoing.
The Employment Court also recently ruled members of the community who worked up to 70 hours a week for years, were not volunteers and employment standards should be enforced.
